Kevin Malone is one-third of the accounting department at Dunder Mifflin Scranton. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed but his heart is always in the right place. Unlike his colleagues, Kevin is one of the only characters in the series without a major love interest throughout the show. This alludes to Kevin being quite lonely and getting most of his human interaction at work, which is a bummer because he's not great at his job.
Through Kevin's many ups and downs throughout The Office's nine seasons, his character has changed in a multitude of ways. Due to his change in personality, voice, and overall dedication to his colleagues, Office fans have taken to Reddit to discuss theories revolving around the one and only Kevin Malone. Keep scrolling to read 10 that makes perfect sense.
His 'Dumb' Persona Is All An Act
When we first met Kevin, he wasn't known as the "dumb one" in the office. He was shy in the accounting department but we could blame that on Angela's intimidating persona.
However, there are some fans who think Kevin's change in personality was all an act. We see this in “Garage Sale" when Kevin walks away with everyone's money after pretending to get frustrated over a boardgame. He's also all of a sudden an accounting genius when it comes to numbers as long as pies are involved. Perhaps, he only acts dumb until he doesn't want to?
Kevin Was A PBS Mole
PBS is the broadcasting service that's set to air the documentary about Dunder Mifflin Scranton. For nine years, cameras were rolling and mics caught more conversations than workers realized. But to really get in on the ground floor, what if PBS hired a mole to help them with the series. What if they paid Kevin to do the dirty work for them?
One theory suggests his personality changed after PBS hired him to be an informant. He's the one who tried to get to the bottom between Jim and Pam. He's also the one who found out about the senator and Oscar. Kevin always seemed to be around by "accident" but what if it was calculated?
Was Kevin's Personality Inconsistencies Due To Radon Or Something Darker?
With Toby as the HR rep at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, we see him in one episode warn the office about the possibility of Radon. He hid Radon kits around the office and warned everyone not to touch them.
One theory suggests that the office really did have Radon and Kevin's mind was affected by it. What's worse is the Reddit poster proposes Kevin actually tried to kill himself after Stacy left him and had damaged his mind in the meantime, leaving us with the Kevin we all came to love in the fourth season.
Kevin's Memory Loss Was Due To An Athletic Accident
Michael didn't want Kevin on his team during the Dunder Mifflin basketball game but he should have. As we saw at the very end of the episode, both he and Phyllis had a great shot but were never given a chance.
Seeing how athletic Kevin was made one fan wonder: because of Kevin's love for sports and betting, was Kevin a former athlete who had to end his athletic career because of a head injury? This could explain why Kevin moved at a slow pace, had a lack of motivation, and loved betting on sports.
Kevin The Troll
Could Kevin Malone be trolling people? He started the series off as a semi-normal man, somehow transformed into a man with very little intelligence, and then ended up owning a very successful bar by the end of the series? Was he trolling Dunder Mifflin for fun?
One theory suggests Kevin got bored being the one accountant with little to do and started acting out as a way to have fun at work. He likes his co-workers but likes to push Angela and Oscar's buttons because he's with them the most. It's not until he gets fired and moves on that he finds his pre-Dunder Mifflin glory.
Dwight & Jim Got Kevin Fired
Jim and Dwight went after each other professionally and personally for nine seasons but was their partnership in the eighth season enough to get Kevin fired? One fan suggests when Jim and Dwight created Lloyd Gross in the eighth season as a way to get around the commission gap, it actually put Kevin in a compromising position.
Angela and Oscar would never agree to do something like that for Dwight and Jim but Kevin sure would. This could also be the timeframe where Kevin creates "Keleven."
A Cheers & Office Crossover
In an alternate universe, one fan thinks Sam Malone from Cheers is actually the father of Kevin Malone from The Office. If both shows were in the same universe, their theory makes sense.
Sam was a ladies man who got around a lot in their 20's. Funny enough, Kevin was born in 1968 when Sam was around 20 years old. If Sam spent the night with Kevin's mom and never saw her again, Sam could be the dad Kevin never knew. It would be ironic that the two are complete opposites but that's what makes the theory fun.
Michael Is Using Kevin To Help Him With His Failing Finances
Is Kevin Michael's scapegoat? One fan thinks he groomed Kevin to be the bumbling idiot of the office for his own gain.
Kevin was supposed to be hired in the warehouse until Michael saw more promise in him being an accountant (even though he had zero accounting experience). Seeing as Kevin is a people pleaser and not great with numbers, Michael saw Kevin as a way for him to get out of financial debt. If he was able to steal money from Dunder Mifflin through "kaleven," then maybe he helped Michael when he "declared" bankruptcy.
Kevin's Mind Becomes Shattered After Stacy Left
When we meet Kevin, he's happily engaged to a woman named Stacy. He's quiet in the first two seasons and doesn't say much but he seemed quite content with his life. Eventually, Stacy leaves Kevin and that's when fans got to know more about him.
When Stacy left, things get worse for Kevin. He leaves his band and seems miserable at work. Over time, he acts differently than when we first met him and seemed to lose a few brain cells. This theory suggests that Kevin's breakup with Stacy was so hard on him that his mind "shattered." He forgot who he was, what he wanted, and what he cared for. He began trolling his co-workers, he gave up on many aspects of his life and began to fail at his job. Maybe Stacy was the one that got away for Kevin and he never recovered from their breakup.
He Couldn't Be Smarter Than Michael
Michael may have been the regional manager and a former top salesman but he's erratic, unconventional, and self-serving. As the boss of the office, Michael couldn't be the "dumbest" one in the officer, per se.
That's why he kept Kevin on. Keeping Kevin in the office (and apart of the show) was a way for viewers to feel empathy and respect for Michael. If Kevin remained the same guy from season one, Michael would be the five-year-old kid in a grown man's body, being babysat by everyone in the office. Adding Kevin to the mix was a way to have balance in the office.